A review of A Fever in Salem: A New Interpretation of the New England Witch Trials‚ by Laurie Winn Carlson‚ Ivan R. Dee‚ Chicago‚ 2000; 224 pp. $14.95 Paperback. ISBN: 1-566633095 A FEVER IN SALEM POSITS A biological cause for the early modem witchcraft epidemic‚ which resulted in the hanging of 19 people in Salem‚ MA‚ in 1692. Witchcraft persecution‚ Laurie Carlson writes‚ arose because of the strange behavior of the supposedly bewitched accusers. She concludes that the cause was a disease unrecognizable
Premium Salem witch trials Witchcraft Salem
Salem Witch Trial Hysteria of 1692 Throughout the late 17th century‚ the New England town of Salem‚ Massachusetts experienced a horrific religious episode. The time known as the Salem Witch Trial Hysteria of 1692 cost the life of 20 men and women. One of the contributing factors that led to this incident was the social rivalry of the Putnam and Porter families. The Putnam family resented the Porters and blamed them for their loss of wealth and political influence. The Salem witch trials were also
Premium Salem witch trials Witchcraft
the Salem Witch Trials stemmed from sheer ignorance from the Puritan people. The first factor in the ignorance displayed by the people of Salem was a result of their religion. The Puritans held a firm belief in the Bible and had a strict interpretation of the meaning of what was in the Bible. So they took the Bible passage that reads‚ "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live‚" seriously. I think that this is the very root of the problem: ignorance as a result of religion. Had the people of Salem not
Premium Salem witch trials Witchcraft The Crucible
The Salem Witch Trials: A Perfect Storm On September 22‚ 1692‚ eight innocent women were hanged in Salem Village. Just a few months later the town would come to its senses and renounce the failed justice system that had doomed sent them to their deaths. Yet for the women‚ and the dozen others who had died before them‚ the revelation came too late. The infamous Salem Witch Trials‚ chronicled by Arthur Miller’s The Crucible were a pivotal time in history in which civilized society collapsed into madness
Premium Salem witch trials Witchcraft The Crucible
McCarthyism Vs. Salem Witch Trials What would your reaction be if you were accused of something and were innocent? This is what happened to many people in the Salem Witch Trials and in McCarthyism. Innocent people were being punished for crimes that they did not commit. Even though there was little evidence‚ they were being hurt simply because somebody didn’t like their personal beliefs. The Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism are alike in many ways including their accusations‚ trials and were different
Premium Salem witch trials
The notorious witch trials of Salem‚ Massachusetts occurred from June through September. It is a brief‚ but turbulent period in history and the causes of the trials have long been a source of discussion among historians. Many try to explain or rationalize the bizarre happenings of the witch hunts and the causes that contributed to them. To understand the trials and how they came to be‚ we must first examine the ideals and views of the people surrounding the events. Salem Village had a very
Premium Salem witch trials
What Caused The Salem Witch Trial Hysteria of 1692? The Salem Witch Trials‚ a hectic and hysteric time of 1600s when 20 innocent people were executed. The Salem Witch Trials began with the Puritans‚ a large group of English Protestant Christians who came to New England in hopes of changing their religion. The Puritans used the Bible as the guide to their life‚ basing decisions on it and taking the Bible literally. The trials in Salem began when Betty Parris and Abigail Williams asked Tituba
Premium Salem witch trials
1692 in Salem‚ Massachusetts was a time of fear‚ allegation‚ and deceit. It was the time of the Salem witch trials. Family feuds‚ eccentric personalities‚ and even keeping dolls in your home were reasons for accusations. Fueled by religious fanatics and young girls screaming for attention‚ literally‚ no one was safe from the insanity of the witch-hunt. This paper is intended to discuss the causes of this hysteria‚ some of the trials that took place during the year 1692‚ and what finally stopped the
Premium Salem witch trials Salem, Massachusetts Witchcraft
While the Salem witch trials occurred in the late 1600’s‚ a similar unfortunate situation occurred in the 1950’s with an event called McCarthyism. The Red Scare and the Salem witch trials shared many common characteristics. The similarities include continuous accusations‚ leading politicians‚ and the reaction to Satan and communism. The Salem witch trials and the Red Scare both involved ongoing accusations that led to numerous innocent people being accused. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible‚
Premium Salem witch trials The Crucible
The Salem Witch Trials Claudia Henry Survey of American History I Professor Craig Lowry December 11‚ 2014 In 1692‚ what is currently known as Danvers‚ was actually known as Salem Village. Salem Village was located in Massachusetts. At the time‚ Massachusetts was not a state‚ but it was actually an English colony. (Yolen‚ 2004) Life in Salem Village was most certainly a difficult one. There was no electricity‚ running water‚ or any form of motorized transportation
Premium Salem witch trials Witchcraft Salem, Massachusetts